Treating abandoned spike holes in wood railway ties



Dec. 27, 1955 J. R. SNYDER 2,728,120

TREATING ABANDONlFD SPIKE HOLES IN WOOD RAILWAY TIES Filed Aug. 22,.1950

- WWW fie 8 INVENTOR. 6 ul 4605 Paw/Swab Arwe ve'xs United States PatentOfiice TREATWG ABANDONED SPIKE HOLES IN WOQD RAILWAY TIES Jacob RushSnyder, Cleveland, Ghio Application August 22, 1950, Serial No. 180,863

3 Claims. (Ci. 20-93) This invention relates generally to the treatmentof abandoned spike holes of wood railway ties and to the improved woodtie resulting from such treatment.

1' t frequently happens during railroad maintenance work that the spikesof rail fastenings are withdrawn from the wood ties and, if the ties arestill sound, the spikes are again driven into the same ties but at newlocations. Such withdrawal of the spikes may be for the reason that thespike holes have become worn or may be in connection with theinstallation of rails of a heavier gauge which require larger tie platesand a different spacing for the spike holes.

in either case some or all of such previously used spike holes areabandoned and steps must be taken to prevent water, brine or the likefrom entering the same. It has heretofore been the practice ofmaintenance workers to drive wood pegs into such abandoned spike holesfor this purpose but, because of the worn condition of the spike holesand various other factors, the holes have been only partially closed,with the result that water, brine and the like flows or seeps into theabandoned spike holes and causes an early and rapid decay of the ties,and particularly of the interior portions thereof to which theconventional creosoting treatment has not penetrated.

it is accordingly an object of the present invention to provide for amore effective closing of these abandoned spike holes such that thewater, brine and the like will be excluded therefrom and the decay ofthe ties will be retarded or prevented and the need for replacement ofthe ties will be considerably postponed with a consequent great savingin expense.

Another object is to provide for the treatment of the abandoned spikeholes of wood ties by the use of wood pegs therein in combination withthermosetting material which forms a water insoluble seal and anadhesive bond between the pegs and the ties into which they are drivenand also serves to harden the wood and render the same resistant todecay.

A further object is to provide for the treatment of the abandoned spikeholes in the manner just mentioned but in which the thermosettingmaterial is initially contained in the spike hole in a fluid conditionand is pressurized therein by the driving of the wood peg, such that thematerial will be distributed between coextending portions of the peg andtie and some of the material will be forced into the peg and into theportions of the tie surrounding the spike hole.

Still another object is to provide for the treatment of abandoned spikeholes in the manner above referred to and in which the thermosettingmaterial is a synthetic resin material or a mixture of a synthetic resinmaterial and cellulose.

Yet another object is to provide for the treatment of abandoned spikeholes in the manner mentioned but in which the peg has at least oneportion thereof, preferably its upper end portion, of a size or oversizesuch as to substantially fill and tightly close the upper end of thespike hole, and in which the peg has a longitudinal grain and is made ofa soft wood which is yieldable or compressible in a directiontransversely of the grain, so as to facilitate obtaining the tight fitin and the substantially complete closure of the upper end of the spikehole.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent in thefollowing detailed description and in the accompanying sheet of drawingsin which,

Fig. l is a top plan view of a portion of a wood tie containing anabandoned spike hole resulting from the withdrawal of a cut spike andwhich has been treated according to the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a vertical section taken through the tie portion containingsuch an abandoned spike hole, substantially as indicated by section line22 of Fig. 1 and showing a spike hole of the kind which extends entirelythrough the tie;

Fig. 3 is a bottom plan view of the portion of the wood tie of Fig. 2 inwhich the abandoned spike hole is located;

Fig. 4 is a side elevation showing a wood peg in detached relation andof the kind used in treating the abandoned spike hole of Fig. 2; I

Fig. 5 is a vertical sectional view similar to Fig. 2 but showing thetreatment of an abandoned spike hole of the kind which does not extendentirely through the tie;

Fi 6 is a top plan view showing a portion of a wood tie having thereinan abandoned spike hole resulting from the withdrawal of a screw spikeand which has been treated according to the present invention;

Fig. 7 is a vertical sectional view taken through the abandoned screwspike hole and adjacent portions of the tie, substantially as indicatedby section line 7-7 of Fig. 6 and showing a spike hole of the type whichextends entirely through the tie;

Fig. 8 is a partial bottom plan view of the tie of Fig. 7 at thelocation of the abandoned spike hole; and

Fig. 9 is an elevational view showing a wood peg in detached relationand of the form used in the treatment of the abandoned screw spike holeof Fig. 7. 1

In Figs. 1, 2 and 3 of the drawing the invention is shown applied to awood tie 10 having an abandoned spike hole 11 therein of a generallyquadrangular crosssection which has resulted from the withdrawal of aconventional cut spike (not shown) from the tie. The tie 1b is aconventional wood tie which has been sawed or otherwise prepared from atimber of oak, pine or any other suitable kind of wood, and which has agrain extending generally longitudinally thereof as indicated at 12. Thetie 10 was initially provided with a bored hole 13 extending entirelytherethrough, as indicated by the remaining portion of this bored hole,and into which bored hole the cut spike was driven.

The generally quadrangular cross-sectional shape of the abandoned spikehole 11 results from the corresponding quadrangular shape of the sternof the cut spike which was driven into the bored hole 13. The abandonedspike hole is usually in a worn or frayed condition as the result of thelateral thrust and tilting to which the cut spike was subjected duringservice by forces transmitted thereto from the rail. The frayed or worncondition of the abandoned spike hole 11 is usually greatest at oradjacent the upper end thereof and results in an enlargement of the holein the direction of the longitudinal grain 12 of the tie 16, as isrepresented in Figs. 1 and 2 by the hole portion 11a.

The treatment of the abandoned spike hole 11, according to the presentinvention, involves the use of a relatively long wood filler peg 14therein and which is driven into the spike hole from the upper endthereof, and the use of a thermosetting material 15 therein which formsa Patented Dec. 27, 1955 water resistant seal and adhesive bond betweenthe peg 14 and the portions of the wood tie surround the abandoned spikehole into which the peg is driven. When the abandoned spike hole 11 isof the type which extends entirely through the tie as shown in Fig. 2,this treatment also involves the use of a relatively short dowel pin 16therein as a plug for closing the remaining portion of. the bored hole13.

The dowel pin 16 is preferably made of wood for purposes of economy, butcould also be made of metal or any other suitable material. This dowelpin is of a generally cylindrical shape and has a cross-sectional sizewhich will permit it to be driven into the quadrangular spike hole 11 tothe bottom thereof and form a closure means or plug for the portion ofthe bored hole 13 still remaining in the tie 10. To facilitate theinsertion and driving of the dowel pin 16 in the abandoned spike hole 11and to insure a tight engagement of the lower end of the dowel pin inthe bored hole 13, such lower end of the dowel pin is preferablyprovided with a converging taper as indicated at 16a.

The wood filler peg 14 is of a quadrangular cross-section correspondinggenerally with the quadrangular crosssection of the abandoned spike hole11 so as to have a relatively tight fit therein and is of a length toextend into the spike hole and substantially fill the same for asubstantial portion of the depth thereof. This wood filler peg 14 hasthe grain of the wood extending generally longitudinally thereof asindicated at 17 and for an important reason is preferably made of arelatively soft wood such as cottonwood or poplar. When the peg is madeof a soft wood of this character it will be somewhat yieldable ofcompressible in a direction transverse to the grain 17, such that whenthe peg is driven into the abandoned spike hole 11 the compression ofthe wood of the peg between the opposite side walls of the spike holewill result in a tight fit of the peg in the spike hole and asubstantially complete closing thereof, particularly at the upper end ofthe hole.

To insure such a tight fit of the pegs 14 in the spike holes 11 beingconsistently obtained, the peg is preferably made somewhat oversize inits transverse dimensions with respect to the corresponding transversedimensions of the spike hole. For example, when the wood peg is made ofa cross-sectional size such that its transverse dimensions are or of aninch larger than the corresponding dimensions of the spike hole 11, thedesired tight fit will be obtained during the driving of the pegthereinto. This oversize relation of the peg to the spike hole will besuch as to result in the desired tight fit being obtained withoutcausing splitting of the tie 10, particularly since the soft characterof the wood of the peg will permit the above mentioned compression ofthe peg transversely of the grain thereof.

The oversize relation of the peg 14 relative to the spike hole 11 canextend for the full length of the peg but preferably it extends for onlya portion of the length of the peg so as to facilitate the driving ofthe peg into the hole. Thus, as shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 4, the fillerpeg 14 may have such an oversize portion only at the upper end thereofas represented by the substantially straightsided upper end portion 14aand may have a gradual converging taper or undercut on the side 14bbelow the oversize portion l ia and a substantially sharp convergingtaper 18 at its lower end.

The sharp end taper 18 will enable the peg to be easily inserted intothe spike hole 11 and to be readily driven downwardly therein. The longgradual taper or undercut of the side 14b will also permit the peg to bereadily driven into the spike hole 11 with the peg forming a relativelytight fit in the spike hole for a substantial portion of the depththereof. The oversize portion 14a at the upper end of the peg will forma tight fit in the spike hole, particularly at the upper end thereof, soas to substantially close the hole and exclude water, brine, cinders,gravel and other foreign matter.

The peg 14 as here shown may also be of the type which is formed as oneof a series of such pegs connected in stick form by a breakable Woodstem 19 of relatively reduced size between the adjacent ends ofcontiguous pegs, and adapted to be separated by the breaking of thisstem.

The thermosetting material 15 used in the spik hole 11 represents animportant feature of the present invention because this material forms awater resistant seal and adhesive bond between the peg 14 and theportions of the tie 10 surrounding the spike hole. This thermosettingmaterial is also distributed along and around the peg 14 so as tosubstantially seal and close all crevices existing between the peg andthe tie. The thermosetting material is also a wood hardening andpreservative material and is impregnated into the grain 17 of the woodpeg 14 and into the grain 12 of the portions of the tie surrounding thespike hole and serves to harden and render resistant to rot and decaythese impregnated portions of the peg and tie.

The thermosetting material 15 can be any one of various chemicalmaterials suitable for this purpose, such as a syn thetic resin orsynthetic resin glue, for example, the resins of the aldehyde or phenolaldehyde class, such as urea. formaldehyde, phenol formaldehyde,melamine formaldehyde or resorcinol formaldehyde. Another such syntheticmaterial suitable for this purpose is urea formaldehyde in aqueoussolution and of a neutral or slightly alkaline pH value produced by theuse of ammonia as the neutralizing agent and containing a potentiallyacidic substance in the form of a salt of any one of various suitableacids. These synthetic resin materials are potentially thermosetting andcan be rendered actually thermosetting when introduced into the spikehole by the admixture of a suitable amount, such as 5% to 16% by weight,of a so-called catalyst or hardener therewith, such as formaldehyde orammonia.

In treating the abandoned spike holes 11 according to the presentinvention, the thermosetting material 15 is introduced into the spikehole in an initially fluid form and in suitable amount as by injecting asuitable quantity of the thermosetting material into the hole or byintroducing thereinto a breakable capsule containing a suitable quantityof the thermosetting material. When the spike hole is of the type whichextends entirely through the tie, as shown in Fig. 2, the thermosettingmaterial 15 is introduced into the spike hole from the upper end thereofafter the dowel pin 16 has been driven into the hole for the desireddistance to form a plug therein.

After the thermosetting material 15 has been introduced into the spikehole 11, the filler peg 14 is driven into the hole from the upper endthereof and causes a displacement-of a portion of the material and adistribution of such material between the coextending portions of thepeg and tie such that the material substantially fills all existingspaces and crevices and forms a seal and adhesive bond between the pegand tie. The driving of the filler peg 14 into the spike hole alsosubjects the trapped material 15 to pressure sufficient to cause some ofthis material to be forced into the grain of the portions of the tiesurrounding the spike hole as indicated by the lines 10a, and into thegrain of the peg itself, as well as into the grain of the dowel pin 16.The thermosetting ma terial thus impregnated into the peg, dowel pin andtie serves to harden and preserve the wood thereof and the adhesive bondthus provided between the tie and the wood of the peg and dowel pincauses the latter to be tightly held in place.

The thermosetting material 15 may also comprise a mixtureof oneor moreof the-above-mentioned synthetic resin materials with wood cellulose,wood flour or the like used in an amountup to 10% by weight of themixture. This wood component renders the thermosetting material moresatisfactory as a filler for the spaces and crevices of the spike holeand imparts added strength to this material in its set condition. Thethermosetting material may also comprise a mixture of one or more of theabove-mentioned synthetic resins and a plasticizing agent such as avinyl resin, for example, vinyl acetate or vinyl butyral, which whenadded to the synthetic resin or to the mixture of synthetic resin andwood component in an amount of 2% to 20% by weight, will preventundesired brittleness and cracking in the thermosetting material afterit has become set.

Fig. of the drawing shows the above described treatment of an abandonedspike hole applied to a wood tie 21 in which the abandoned spike hole 22resulting from the withdrawal of a conventional cut spike does notextend entirely through the tie but is a so-called blind spike hole andhas a depth, as well as a cross-sectional shape and size correspondingwith the cut spike which was withdrawn therefrom. The abandoned spikehole 22 has been treated with a quantity of thermosetting material whichwas introduced into the spike hole prior to the driving of the woodfiller peg 14 thereinto. Substantially the same beneficial results areobtained for the abandoned spike hole 22 as have been described abovefor the spike hole 11.

Figs. 6 and 7 show this invention applied to the treatment of anabandoned screw spike hole 23 of a wood tie 24. The screw spike hole 23is here shown as being of the type which extends entirely through thetie 24 and the remaining portion 25 of the bored hole is closed by adowel pin 26. The screw spike hole 23 conforms generally to thecross-sectional size and shape of the screw spike which was withdrawntherefrom and is here shown as having a downwardly converging taper anda helical thread impression 27 in the side wall thereof.

The treatment of the abandoned screw spike hole 23 is similar to thatdescribed above in detail for the abandoned cut spike hole 11 andsubstantially the same beneficial results are obtained. In the treatmentof the screw spike hole 23 the wood filler peg 28 which is driven intothe spike hole is a peg of a round cross-sectional shape and has aconverging taper for a substantial portion of its length, as indicatedat 28a, to facilitate the driving of the peg into the spike hole. Thepeg 28 has an oversize transverse dimension for a portion of its lengthand is made of a soft wood for the same reasons as have been explainedabove in connection with the filler peg 14. In this instance the peg 28is shown as having a substantially cylindrical oversize portion 28b atthe upper end thereof which forms a tight fit in and substantiallycloses the upper end of the abandoned screw spike hole 23 when the pegis fully driven thereinto.

In the treatment of the abandoned screw spike hole 23 the syntheticresin material 15 is trapped between the peg and the dowel pin 26 in thecase of a screw spike hole which extends entirely through the tie, andis trapped between the peg and the lower end of the spike hole in thecase where the spike hole is a so-called blind hole. The trappedthermosetting material is pressurized into the wood during the drivingof the peg 28 in substantially the same way and produces the samebeneficial results as have been explained above for the spike holes 11and 22.

From the foregoing description and the accompanying drawing it will nowbe readily understood that this invention provides a novel treatment forthe abandoned spike holes of wood ties, and also provides an improvedtie construction resulting from such treatment and by which used railwayties may have a prolonged life and thus eifect a substantial saving inthe cost of railway maintenance. It will also be understood that the useof the above described thermosetting material in combination with woodfiller pegs in such abandoned spike holes results in a closing of suchspike holes in a manner to effectively exclude water, brine and otherforeign matter and to prevent decay of the ties at the location of suchabandoned spike holes, as well as to prevent accidental loosening of thewood filler pegs. It will likewise be seen that the oversize relation ofthe filler pegs and the soft character of the wood thereof makespossible the attainment of a desired tight fit of the pegs in theabandoned spike holes without splitting of the ties, as well as thepressurizing of the thermosetting material into the wood for thehardening and preservation thereof. Additionally, it will be seen thatsince the thermosetting material forms a filler for the crevices of thetreated spike hole, as well as an adhesive bond between the peg and tie,it will produce an effective seal capable of preventing the entry orseepage of water, brine or other fluid material into the abandoned spikehole.

Although the improved tie construction and the treatment of abandonedspike holes provided by this invention have been illustrated anddescribed herein to a somewhat detailed extent, it will be understood,of course, that the invention is not to be regarded as being limitedcorrespondingly in scope but includes all changes and modificationscoming within the terms of the claims hereof.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. In combination, a wood railway tie having a closedbottom previouslyused spike hole extending thereinto crosswise of the grain of the tie, aone-piece substantially solid wood filler peg driven into the said spikehole and being of a cross-sectional shape and size to engage the sidesof the spike hole for the major portion of the length of said peg and tosubstantially fill and close the upper end of said spike hole, said peghaving a longitudinal grain and being of a length to extend into saidspike hole for a substantial portion of the depth of the latter, and awood-hardening thermosetting material comprising a mixture of syntheticresin and a catalyst distributed between coextending portions of saidpeg and tie and forming a water-resistant seal and adhesive bondtherebetween, said material being initially contained in said spike holein an initially fluid condition and being pressurized and displaced bythe driving of said peg into the spike hole to cause distribution ofsome of said initially fluid material between the coextending peg andtie portions and to also cause impregnation of the wood of saidcoextending peg and tie portions by some of said initially fluidmaterial, the impregnated peg and tie portions being hardened andrendered water-resistant by the setting of said initially fluid materialtherein, said peg being strongly and permanently connected with the tieby the adhesive bond between said hardened peg and tie portions such asto condition the tie for further railway track use.

2. In combination, a wood railway tie having a closedbottom previouslyused spike hole extending thereinto crosswise of the grain of the tie, aone-piece substantially solid wood filler peg of longitudinal graindriven into said spike hole from the upper end thereof and extendinginto the spike hole for a substantial portion of the depth of thelatter, said peg having a stem portion of a crosssectional shape andsize in relation to the spike hole to enter the same and have arelatively close-fitting engagement with the side walls thereof for themajor portion of the length of said peg and said peg also having anenalrged portion at the upper end of said stem which is of an oversizecross-section in relation to said spike hole for forming a relativelytight fit in and substantially closing the upper end of the spike hole,said peg being made of a relatively soft wood such that said enlargedportion of oversize cross-section is yieldable in a direction transverseto said longitudinal grain in forming said tight fit in the upper end ofthe spike hole, and a woodhardening thermosetting material comprising amixture of synthetic resin and a catalyst distributed betweencoextending portions of said peg and tie and forming a water-resistantseal and adhesive bond therebetween, said material being initiallycontained in said spike hole in an initially fluid condition and beingpressurized and displaced by the driving of said peg into the spike holeto cause distribution of some of said initially fluid material betweenthe coextending peg and tie portions and to also cause impregnation ofthe Wood of said coextending peg and tie-portions by some of saidinitially fluid material, the impregnated peg and tie portions beinghardened and rendered water-resistant by the setting of said initiallyfluid material therein, said peg being strongly and permanentlyconnected with the tie by the adhesive bond between said hardened pegand tie portions such as to condition the tie for further railway trackuse.

3. In combination, a wood railway tie having a previously used spikehole extending therethrough crosswise of the grain of the tie, a closuremember introduced into the spike hole for closing the same at a pointspaced a substantial distance from the upper end of the spike hole, aone-piece substantially solid wood filler peg driven into said spikehole from said upper end and being of a crosssectional shape and size toengage the sides of the spike hole for the major portion of the lengthof said peg and to substantially fill and close said upper end of thespike hole, said peg having a longitudinal grain and being of a lengthto extend into the spike hole for a substantial portion of the depth ofthe latter but terminating above said closure member, and aWood-hardening thermosetting material comprising a mixture of syntheticresin and catalyst distributed between coextending portions of said pegand tie and forming a water-resistant seal and adhesive bondtherebetween, said material being initially contained in said spike holeabove, said, closure member in an initially fluid condition and beingpressurized and displaced by the driving of said peg intothespike holetocause distribution of some of said initially fluid material between thecoextendingpeg and tie portions and to also cause impregnation of thewood of said coextending peg and tie por tions by some of said initiallyfluid material, the impregnated peg and tie portions being hardened andrendered water-resistant by the setting of said initially fluid materialtherein, said peg being strongly and permanently connected with the tieby the adhesive bond between said hardened peg and tie portions such asto condition the tie for further railway track use.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS406,566 Dudley July 9, 1889 519,553 Rounds May 8, 1894 626,060 GoldieMay 30, 1899 703,780 Fredericia July 1, 1902 1,111,286 Aylesworth Sept.22, 1914 1,338,444 Heiln Apr. 27, 1920 1,584,337 Warne May 11, 1926,1,588,617 Rose June 15, 1926 2,389,464 Snyder Nov. 20, 1945

